Content rights: what to settle before production

Start with an asset record

For every supplied photo, illustration, video, font and audio track, record its source and who can authorise its use. Keep the licence or written permission alongside the working files. A reference found online can help explain a direction; its presence in a moodboard does not establish permission to reuse it in an advertisement.

Singapore’s Intellectual Property Office distinguishes ownership, assignment and licensing, and recommends recording the scope of rights in a written agreement. Its guidance also explains that online material is not automatically available for copying.

Reference: IPOS: ownership and commercialisation.

Describe the intended use

A practical rights brief should cover the channels, countries, duration and parties involved. Specify whether the material is for the brand’s own social posts, paid advertising, its website or partner channels. Record whether editing, translation, cutdowns and future reuse are included. Do the same for music and voice work.

“We paid for the content” leaves too many questions open. Agree who owns the commissioned work, what is licensed, which source files are included and whether any third-party restrictions remain. The written scope should match the actual delivery.

People and brand identity need a deliberate review

Confirm approval for a recognisable person’s image, voice and proposed role. Keep that approval with the project. Treat a synthetic presenter as a creative device, not as a real customer testimonial. If a concept resembles a real person or relies on another brand’s distinctive identity, resolve the issue before publication.

A brand review should also check packaging, signage and background details. A generated picture can introduce a logo or lettering that was not requested. Review the final exported asset, not only the prompt.

AI adds another part to the record

Record the tool and model used, the relevant commercial-use terms at the time of production and the permissions for uploaded reference material. Keep the human contributions—scripts, edits, design decisions and approvals—with the project. Tool access alone is not a complete rights assessment of the final advertisement.

For Singapore-specific questions about AI and copyright, start with the official IPOS explainer on AI-generated content. Review the rules and agreements relevant to each intended market rather than assuming one country’s guidance applies elsewhere.

Make the handover easy to understand

Deliver the approved files with an asset list, usage scope, permission records and any expiry dates or limits. Separate original work from third-party material. Assign a person to check changes in use—for example, turning an organic post into a paid campaign or expanding into another country.